Enterobacter

Enterobacter is a group (genus) of bacteria that are part of the ESKAPE pathogens. There have been 22 species that’ve been discovered so far. They are widely spread around habitats including water, soil and sewage but also have been discovered in human and animal faeces which is one reason why they have managed to inhabit so many environments. In addition, they can survive in oxygen containing (aerobic) as well as oxygen-free (anaerobic) environments.

This genus is part of the Enterobacteriaceae family which is a group that contains many harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Shigella.
These species are known for causing many infections with most of the species being nosocomial (acquired in hospitals). Some example infections include urinary tract infection (UTI), intra-abdominal infections, respiratory tract infection and soft tissue infection. There are antibiotics that treat Enterobacter infections; however, resistance to the currently employed antibiotics is rising, and there is an urgent need to develop new antibiotics to fight this bacterium. Two species that are especially resistant to antibiotic treatment are Enterobacter huaxiensis and Enterobacter chuandaensis.

References

Category:Gram-negative bacteria